Youri Tielemans joins Aston Villa citing Unai Emery as key influence
Youri Tielemans in action against the Republic of Ireland Credit: None
Aston Villa has officially welcomed Youri Tielemans to its squad. The Belgian international's move became official on July 1 following the termination of his contract with Leicester City.
In his first interview with VillaTV, Tielemans highlighted Head Coach Unai Emery as a significant factor in his decision to transfer.
Tielemans elaborated, saying, “When I had a few chats with the manager, his ambition, his passion and the way he led the team impressed me and made me decide to come to Aston Villa. It’s a big club. I’m really excited.”
Having spent four-and-a-half years with Leicester City, Tielemans views his transition to Aston Villa as a fresh challenge.
“It’s been a good time but now is the time to move on for myself and my family. Now I’m at Aston Villa, I’m really looking forward to it. I can’t wait to get started,” he stated.
Tielemans, 26, brings a wealth of European experience to Villa. His resume boasts a total of 66 appearances across the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League.
His goal is to contribute to Aston Villa's success in the latter, as the club prepares for its first European competition since 2010.
Regarding his aspirations for Villa's European games, he remarked, “Playing in Europe is always a great achievement, and the way the manager led the team back to Europe is an amazing achievement. We have to be ready for it. European cup competitions are always special. They will hopefully be some good nights.”
